Gripper for tuft weaving



Oct. 27, 1931. c. ALvoRD GRIPPER FOR TUFT WEAVING Filed oct. io,

/Nm m VENTOR TT mmm.. rv LK ll Il Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNETED STATES PATENT QFFICE CLINTON ALVORD, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGNOR TO WORCESTER LOOM WORKS, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS GRIPP-ER FOR TUFT WEAVIN G Application filed October 10, 1929.

This invention relates to the weavingiof tufted pile fabrics and has particular reference to that class of looms in which the strands of tuft yarn are grasped by grippers7 the proper lengths of tufts cut ofi', and transferred by them to the tutt forming position in the shed of the loom.

The main object of this invention is to hold a multiplicity of accurately gauged grippers rigidly in place. A further object is to form a number of accurate grippers into a unit that can be attached quickly to the loom with other similar units and thus save valuable 4 time inthe starting up of a new loom. Another object of thisV invention is the method of thus assembling a number of grippers into a unit.

A further obj ect is to produce a short nose gripper.

These and other objects are shown in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims.y

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an assembledY unitof grippers. Y

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base of a unit.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the soldering mold. p n

Fig. 4 shows the rivet which is cast with the unit and Fig. 5 is an enlarged ldrawing of the jaw rivet.

The grippers 1, having movable jaws 2V pivoted at 3, are cast in solder 4 at their butt ends 5 so that a number commonly twentyone are held in spaced relation side by side. Base 6 is soldered to the butts 5 at the same f time the several grippers are soldered together and the whole unit of grippers and 'base is finally attached to the square slotted gripper bar 7 by the two cap screws 8.

The bar 7 has a series of transverse key ways 9` into which the keys 10, formed on each base 6, ht and the several units are registered thereby side by side along the bar. The base V6 is provided' with a dove-tail 1l which ts into av reverse opening 12 in the butt of each gripper and the solder flows into the space-between these matching dove-tails 50 and holds the gripper to thebase. A notch Serial No. 398,644.

13 is formed in the butt of each gripper suitable to receive the double headed rivet 14: which is soldered therein, one vhead 15 appearing on one side of the soldered unit while the opposite head 16 appears on the other side thereof, the heads being larger than slot 13. The slotted gripper bar 7 is attached to suitable operating levers, not shown, in the loom and they perform their function of accurately positioning the gripper in the usual manit becomes necessary to bend the grippers that are not in perfect alignment all the way from the point 17 to the part 19 for if the grippers vare not substantially parallel at these and intermediate points good weaving will be impossible as there will be unequal room for shedding of warps and a possible non-shedding of some of the warp ends because of lack of space for the strands of warp. Vhen four'are held by one bolt as is usual practice, the area of the metals in contact is so small and the leverage so great that the grippers are apt to work loose causing inaccurate pile formation. My new method of forming a multiplicity of grippers into a rigid unit eliminates this defect.

By my new and unique method of assembling the grippers I ain enabled to produce units of several grippers that are spaced at a uniform distance at these necessary points. Grippers of a substantial degree of straightness are placed in the soldering mold 20 in which the comb 21 holds and guides them near the points while comb 22 similarly registers them near the portion 19. The bases 6 project into the solder mold recess 23 and because there are but two guide combs 21 and 22 the grippers slip into position without vISIS forcing and consequently without distortion. The double headed rivet is in position along wth the base 6, a flux is applied and the solder is poured into the mould and allowed to set 5 or harden, after which the cast unit of grippers is removed from the moldby opening it at line 25, lwhereupon the grippers are fo-und to be lined up in spaced relation of a good commercial accuracy in those portions that I therefore obtain grippersy z'the bar of the mold for that purpose.V The individual springs 28 contact with the grippers at 29 and hold them pressed in yielding Contact against the teeth of the mold and the bottom 30 of the comb 22.' Thus I am asj 25C' sured that each gripper in every unit is lined up with its neighbors as to point 17 and teeth 26 without subsequent bendingas formerly after the oldV fashion of assembling these important elements of atuft weaving loom.

355 The slottedgripper bar 7 is grooved longitudinally to take the gripper base 6, two walls 31 and 32 on either side of the base assuring that the several units of grippers, which make up a loom width, line up with each other when fast in Vplace on the shaft.

Thisfmay be termed a short nosed gripper,

since the pivot joint 3 is placed'substar'itiallyl half as far from the tip of the jaw asin the d ordinary gripper. lThis produces astiff grip- 49* per and one in which the points of the gripper and jaw line up laterally. The tail 33 eX- tendsbackward far`v enough to'allow plenty of room for the passageof the weft needle 34 of the loom. This tail also has a lin 35 433 that isthinned down to match a slot milled in thel guide 36 forming apart of the gripper body, andthe parts are concentric with the center ofrivet 3 so as to assure that the jaw will open. and shut correctly. The guide 533 keeps the sides of the tail of the jaw in line with the sides of the gripper body so that the two present a fiat surface for the possible lateral rubbing of the thin reed dents which pass between the grippers when they are down in the shed; Thus there is no danger of a reed dent catching on a projecting surface of a jaw tail. Also this guide assists in retaining the two jaws'in lateral line with each other because it co-acts with the joint of the pivot 6m 3 in soy doing. Again this guide keeps a loose pivot oint from rocking laterally and causing an edge 37 vof the jaw from sticking out beyond the line of the gripper body and prep senting a projection that might contact with a moving reeddent and cause damage'.

. what I claim as new and desire each unit being provided at its base with a The disk 38 at the end of the tail of the jaw is acted on by a wing shaft, not shown, when opening and closing a set of grippers.

The body 1 and jaw 2 areV halved in at the pivot as shown in Fig. 5. The post rivet at 3 has Ya countersunk head 39 already formed on it, which co-acts with the countersunk hole in the j aw, while the shank 40 is smaller and fits snugly into the hole in the body even before it is rivetedV up so as to bring the underneath side 41of the rivet head down firmly lon the counterbored seat 42 in the body. This leaves the jaw free to move on the rivet head while held to the gripper body.

The accuracy of the workmanship in the individual grippers and in the casting molds produce units of grippers which, when made fast tothe bar 7, register by thepteeth in an even straight line and in two abutting units space uniformly with those in either unit.

I thusobtain a far better job of lining up the grippers than by the old method, they .are held more firmly to the gripper shaft, and it is all ,done in much less time, especially in the assembling ofthe unitswith the slotted bar, and I can weave a more even fabric.

Having thus clearly described myinvention vand illustrated it fully in the drawings, to secure by Letters Patent is 9.5i

` 1. In combinat-iorna plurality of gripperV units each composed of amultiplicity of grippers for tuft weaving that are spaced and permanently held together by solder,

registering spline, and a slotted gripper shaft on which said units are spaced by `means of the co-acting splinesand slots and to vwhich said units are quickly attached and readily removed'.

2. A new article of manufacture consisting ofa plurality of grippersfor'tuft weaving held in spaced relation by solder at the butts thereof, and having amember embedded in the solder, and adhering thereto, said member having a relatively large head which overlaps the outer side of an outside gripper at theA butt thereof to act as a 'mechanical and supplementary retainer forsaid gripper.

3. A new article ofv manufacture consisting of a plurality of grippers in spaced relation for tuft weaving, 'a base for the grippers interlocked with the butts thereof, a rivet with a head overlapping an outer gripper at the butt thereof, and solder permanently connecting the various parts together as a unit. Y

4. In a loom in combination, a plurality of units composed of grippers for tuft weaving held in spaced relation at their butts by solder and with a base for each unit attached to the butts of the-grippers by the solder and provided with a registering spline, a carrier bar for said units having a longitudinal groove into which said bases fit snugly and provided 130 (l il With lateral slots for the splines whereby said units are registered relative to each other, and means for attaching said units to said bar.

5. A unit of grippers for a tuft Weaving loom composed of several individual grippers associated with a base, the ensemble being held together by solder, With the grippers spaced thereby to agree With the tutt insertion means of a loom, said ensemble being provi ded with registering means Whereby a multiplicity of said units may be operatively registered across a loom to form a desired Width of accurately spaced grippers.

6. A gripper holding bar for a tutt Weaving loom provided with a series of formations for registering a multiplicity of gripper units therealong, there being one Jformation for each unit, said formations being located to afford even spacing of an entire series of gripper units When registered thereby.

Sept. 25th, 1929, Worcester, Mass.

CLINTON ALVORD. 

